Get to Know College Admissions Expert, Nellie Brennan-Hall

You attended Harvard University for undergrad. What was the highlight of your college years and what do you wish you had known about Harvard when you were an applicant?

I have never felt more intellectually challenged than during my undergraduate years. I loved being surrounded by so many intelligent, thoughtful, and accomplished peers from all over the world! However, at the same time, I felt unprepared for the rigor of Harvard and the resourcefulness and initiative of my classmates was eye opening. After adjusting to this my freshman year, I wished I had taken advantage of different opportunities in high school to advance my knowledge in the areas I loved. I was a good student who had a lot of leadership, but I didn’t dive deeply into my academic interests outside of school.

How has your experience working as an Associate Director of Admissions at Brown University informed your approach to Private Counseling?

There is no better preparation for Private Counseling than having worked in an admissions office. I have read thousands and thousands of applications, and I know what stands out and what does not matter. This allows me to help students to maximize the application and highlight different accomplishments. My experience as a committee chair at Brown also taught me how institutional priorities play out in the admissions decisions. Another perspective that I gained was just how strong the applicant pool is at a school like Brown, which allows me to give families realistic expectations when working on application strategies.

While at Brown you served on the athletics committee. What is your #1 piece of advice for potential athletic recruits?

My #1 piece of advice for athletic recruits is to continue to focus on school and dig into other opportunities. Students who haven’t yet received a commitment from a school need to accept that they may need to make a decision about continuing to play sports when they see what options they have. Once a student receives a commitment, they need to finish high school strong. I’ve seen more than one decision change because of poor academic or social choices a recruited athlete made.

You also hold graduate degrees in education from both Notre Dame and Harvard. How has your experience at these institutions and as an educator helped you guide students through the college admissions process?

Having a degree in secondary education and one in higher education has given me the unique perspective of studying student experiences in both high school and college. I have also worked “on both sides of the desk” as a high school teacher and college counselor and as an admissions officer. Because of this, I have a deep understanding of where our students are now and where they want to go. I love helping them bridge that gap!

You recently returned from a trip to the UK to meet with admissions representatives at a number of universities. How do you support students considering UK schools?

Our approach at Top Tier fits in nicely with UK admissions because they tend to be focused on one or two academic areas, as opposed to the US approach of wanting to see a strong performance in all subjects. Universities in the UK are also more test focused, so students need to prepare to take AP exams and other assessments early in their high school career. I also encourage students to think more deeply about the degree program they are applying to, as it is incredibly difficult to switch once you are admitted (and each program also has different admissions requirements).

Want to work with Nellie? Contact us today to reserve your spot.